Tallahassee, Fla. – The leaders of the Associated Industries of Florida’s H2O Coalition today expressed strong support for improvements made to HB 7003, a bill relating to Water Resources, which was approved by the House Appropriations Committee.

“Florida’s water users are looking for comprehensive solutions that will grow our water supply, not merely grow the supply of state-owned lands,” said Brewster Bevis, Senior Vice President of State and Federal Affairs for the Associated Industries of Florida. “The House proposal relies on science-tested tools to promote sustainability and ensure the conservation of our natural resources.”

“We appreciate Chairman Corcoran and his committee’s support and will continue to provide input from the business community to the Legislature,” continued Bevis. “Failing to address long term water quality and quantity issues could put our state’s economy at risk. The last thing Floridians want to see are protracted and costly legal battles over water.”

The Session, the Florida H2O Coalition is advocating for a science-based, comprehensive water reform to address concerns about future water shortages. According to estimates from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida has a need for an additional 1.3 billion gallons of water per day by 2030 to accommodate a population of almost 24 million.

The Florida H2O Coalition is comprised of stakeholders interested in water quantity and quality issues in Florida with the goal of making recommendations on state and federal water laws and rules impacting Florida. For more information about the Florida H2O Coalition, please visit us online.